Chapter 364: A Man Full of Sin (1)
CFpUIwVictoria let out a groan as she held her throbbing temple.DMT
xJb“Ugh… uuuugh…”RDZ1z6n
xyrNonIt was a migraine that had struck after breakfast. Even so, after a short nap, she felt a bit better than before.UEMq
IdlOf course, “better” didn’t mean in optimal condition. At that moment, all she wanted was to stay in bed, regaining her strength. But—9Gn
AwN“…I can’t leave Heavenly Sword alone, or he’ll be paired up with the officer…”ejt
1ufB8She’d thought about it both before falling asleep and after waking. Leaving Heavenly Sword alone after slapping him had been completely childish.ipxp8
AWwrq‘And to think I told him this very morning not to treat me like a child…’WIK
wTo4EVictoria felt ashamed. They say that one of the fundamental virtues of an adult is responsibility.1NCVlV
ZYOeBRBut the scene had been too amusing. In a burst of anger, Victoria had turned her gaze away from her responsibility. Even if it was late, the thought that Heavenly Sword had received that slap from a woman who wasn’t his fiancée sent shivers down her spine.UCoiI6
U0Ibm7‘I must go see him and explain things face to face.’vdIMWC
sZvME9mEven members of the imperial family preferred to avoid having Officer Garyeon closely associate with anyone.W7Oh
7Tl7HfcGaryeon was the “ear and shadow” of the Emperor. Whatever she whispered in a low voice was as good as whispering directly into the sovereign’s ear.cFVINv
KUiMContrary to popular belief, royalty are the most conscious of public perception. It was said that whoever best understood the mood would earn a place in the line of succession.EcEn
pb1Therefore, for a member of the imperial family to consider forming ties with Officer Garyeon, it required great resolve.MvnOOa
i758‘…I’m already marked by His Majesty anyway, so at this point…’SRb1e
5wLwF4LIt was something she’d declared with conviction in front of the Emperor. Even so, she couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling. It was the first time in her life she’d gone against His Majesty.B5ZqA
Ghy9HsrOn one hand, she felt liberated; on the other, uncertain. She only dared because Heavenly Sword was with her. Otherwise, she’d have ended up prostrate before the throne, begging forgiveness.BmleuGl
Ejk“Ugh…”gbSZZ3
ZFBrB2WVictoria stretched one last time in bed and headed to the coat rack. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of her microfiber robe, tied up her hair in the center, and walked calmly out of the room.nqaT
pal0q***OiP
G6SfStep, step.CpQGU
zZFyIn the silent hallway, only the soft tapping of her slippers against the floor could be heard.isYp
FXKTa7u‘Hmm?’FE3A
1ao5In front of the dining room, several maids were gathered, whispering among themselves.iOQwI
sfh3All of them, without exception, had their ears pressed against the wooden door, completely focused.w1Pa
cTyGISo absorbed were they that they didn’t even notice Victoria’s arrival.L3xgsn
77ZEZ“The Lord Heavenly Sword already has two wives, right?”2D5c85
nPTn5Commented a young maid. The older head maid responded firmly.sReC2
kMy“His Majesty also started with two.”n442
Q2js“Eeek…!”hgDe
qfT6p“The saying ‘great men are womanizers’ exists for a reason. The greater the man, the more women around him.”1c2q
zVRn3fThe Emperor had many wives. Even if the empresses wanted to compete for his affection in bed, they couldn’t. Even if they drew a number, their turn never came.QRE
QEtFU“B-but… that’s such an outdated way of thinking…!”FMQEpU
df3esQ“We all owe our lives to Lord Heavenly Sword. Even with the Parsy disaster recently. And it’ll continue that way in the future. It’s best for humanity not to displease him.”mrCig
tm152“Ah… ha…”mavITA
T9XEp“That’s why this situation must never leave this room—eeek!”p6zKNt
x6KDmCvThe maid quickly bowed deeply. The others, noticing Victoria’s presence, immediately followed suit.PL6Hy
INvDn“What are you all doing here, gathered like this?”nYi
GszXgBGVictoria asked, tilting her head slightly. The young maid stammered.4i1BdH
Pwx“T-the thing is… the officer is inside with Lord Heavenly Sword, and—Agh!”l27eJg
YfA8The head maid gave her a hard pinch on the side.9ixT
4JNP“It’s nothing important, Your Highness.”jUx2F
yxr8rB3“If it’s nothing important, then why are you all gathered here? Step aside, I want to see what’s going on inside.”avvbqvX
7i1sW“Your Highness.”aJQo
p5EKOzg“…”Umpyx
Hkl8gcuA shadow of concern crossed Victoria’s eyes.UeYcha1
IwG“Could it be…?”Pz3
1kkISCHer finely shaped eyebrows visibly trembled.JqTvH
h94J‘Did Officer Garyeon do something crazy?!’VzJTpeG
2vCYPApparently, she couldn’t hold back and had already caused an incident. Victoria knew that woman was unpredictable, but how could she get into trouble in just half a day?sEk
IWIWR2“I said step aside!”Hqm
G7lBH6“Y-Your Highness….”oWpqqL
ezjThe head maid, drenched in cold sweat, tried to stop her.Ix7KEr
RFPArguing with a member of the imperial family was bold. But as someone who had accompanied Victoria for so long, she felt a near-maternal duty toward her.3lYcTqc
boCSWTg“Quickly!”BtJODI
BDY“I’m afraid the scene inside may be too shocking for Your Highness…”fHkOlFT
Nj7e4u5Victoria felt as if her composure was cracking under pressure. That crazy woman, Garyeon!SjpXEe
OO0She couldn’t just stand by. After all, the initial responsibility lay with her.tBfX
lNztIs6A situation where that damn woman put Heavenly Sword in a tight spot… she couldn’t allow it, not with her own eyes.1cQcv
8tPe5— I do #%*! better!Xw5
auQkNJ— I’ve been with Lord Heavenly Sword since he had @$# on his face!xcuY
zpB— The Master and I are so close that @!$& happens between us!4Yda6t
WwYFHe0Distorted fragments of conversation crossed from behind the doorframe.tUK
Di645rl“Gasp!”lXjjY
nHrWf1“Mmhp!”4AVs36
hJZ1zM“Aah, I love it!”TQS
JXct“…?”Jl8bc
HTm3CiThe content was so intense it seemed to trigger the brain’s dopamine receptors. The maids, scandalized, couldn’t help but cover their mouths with both hands.K8tK
Prm“…Ah…”dwrOaCh
a3NEven the head maid’s crossed arms, like a barricade, gave way. She thought she had lived long enough not to be shocked, but the shamelessness of these young modern heroes was bleaching her brain.UUL
1KA5inVictoria also went pale.EN4z
Vhms0M“Your Highness may enter.”DKZ
mWOfL“…”pMqxG
BjVqer“Lord Heavenly Sword’s gallantry exceeds all expectations. It must be exhausting at the Academy, Your Highness.”5ZG
SkvyiQThe head maid retreated weakly. After a brief scuffle, Victoria opened the door.bvabpVs
Fh1RCreakk…Pfx
zMBThe rusty hinges groaned, as if reflecting her state of mind.MhGbcr
7hNoAnd finally, the inside was revealed.ZTe
YdIfThree women forming a human wall on one side of the table. In the center, Heavenly Sword, Kang Geom-Ma, seated with a completely resigned expression.cczc
fL1zAll eyes turned to her in unison.PWKjQV
aojMZ“Your Highness.”cmr
SdckOfficer Garyeon spoke.FGuO
vNUpiFJ“It’s a misunderstanding.”IiX
hKhBtfShe had clearly read Victoria’s thoughts.t4dXU
HZNF“I said it’s a misunderstanding!”tW9vSn
RaIIJp***vuL
7O7DAccording to what I knew, neither Shail nor Choi Seol-Ah were the type to argue carelessly, especially in the presence of royalty. On the contrary.XIEGul
Nuy“We greet the little sun of the Empire.”m8Ve7A5
ER7JShail slightly lifted her dress and curtsied. She used her experience as a lady-in-waiting perfectly to come out unscathed.3aT
6NsNv“Y-Your… Your Highness.”K6F
PkkChoi Seol-Ah, with a cowardly expression, crawled along the floor. She truly was an opportunist. When it came to bowing, she was a master. Just like she was with me.7BB
Nwn9RAtIn contrast, Officer Garyeon—gG08ylt
qbPJx“…”i0HMw3
SLf2v7Not a single word. As if punishing herself, she respectfully clasped her hands in the shadows.ykXn
NPvzT“Lord Heavenly Sword, this… what does this mean?”O3v1ou2
rJ0SIt was finally my turn to speak. I crossed my arms arrogantly and answered.ueT7CE
S69CK“This is how things turned out.”7ayhhon
ekn5X“I see…”UkT9Kqx
Bq0vThe circumstances of Shail and Choi Seol-Ah’s appearance were understandable. Given my usual behavior, it wasn’t strange that Ryozo and Abel were concerned. Sadly, that was the general opinion among my close ones.RVCt
GWdkEven so, Victoria’s discomfort lingered.E6Dh8
UeJ“I understand for now.”pqx
qe3sm4“Thank you for trusting me.”s0PAPKo
bYJHaving to explain romantic matters to a student made me feel pathetic for a moment. But there was no other choice.4QVf2r
r54t‘If this gets misunderstood…’6fX
HeAaN2bIf this story reached the ears of Ryozo or Abel, I couldn’t even imagine how far the damage would spread.ugbBbm
4rkFFv‘Well, I can imagine, but I’d rather not think about it.’VBxrK
K2f0Mh“Let’s change locations.”bfsW
Xc5N“Good idea.”BbpC17
1t3t2Just as we were heading to the reception hall, Officer Garyeon, who had been silent, raised a hand to her ear and spoke after a moment.Uby3I
osd“We received a message from the Imperial Guard.”jMjiAn
ba7WaX“Already?”QSZkKE
Urq“Yes. They say they can’t keep someone of such high status waiting any longer. They’re ready to receive you at any time.”1Bw
gxRimVictoria interrupted the conversation.xAij1x
hzDi4Dj“What does that mean?”Odj
3Zv“Oh, that.” I answered.68Da
I7WU8B“I’m the one who expressed interest in observing the Imperial Guard’s training.”sXi
5bFBh9k“You, Heavenly Sword?”S7wsYua
MJEj“When I return to the Academy, I’ll likely remain a temporary instructor, so I thought it would be useful to see how they train. In fact, I was going to invite you to come with me.”sydwCa
hXGwc1A lie.TJNIy
DSfHvq7The leader of the Guard, Oscar, is the one orchestrating Victoria’s assassination.R6nStxd
tula‘And he’s strong himself.’VCn
cVYqxekOf course, I could crush him easily if I wanted, but Oscar had the backing of an organization. And he would pressure Victoria with all that weight. She’s the one who has to face him. If I step in directly, everything would end immediately.nRKBhZ
YElxyZk‘But that wouldn’t make sense.’Q3L3Pfr
DIYnPDon’t give rice to the hungry—teach them to harvest. That was the philosophy of the founding president. I inherited that spirit.zjqM
52FoMB1Victoria’s eyes turned serious.jnZkMJt
qwEMa‘Seems she understood my intent.’HkihF
fthsaVDThat’s why it’s easier to have disciples who understand ten things from a single teaching. Like I once did.q0bcb
atW‘You have to face it yourself.’uNb
dqBomFOnly by facing it on her own can she stand on her own. That way, her words in the future will carry more weight before the Emperor than the complaints she used to make.mVHDKxL
WhbRAIf you want something,m1n
aWlSEarn the right to have it.S27
nFTMwL“Understood.”LNqM3
sYUqrpVictoria stepped forward. When I took a step, Shail and Choi Seol-Ah clung to my back like guardian statues.59s
DVrb9“You’re coming too?”j6w6O
P7m9KHs“The young lady is very concerned for Lord Heavenly Sword.”K2FjLi
yRUsu0What they mean is they’re going to keep an eye on me constantly.2yI
31T7cQ2“The headmistress said something similar! Lord, or rather, Lord Heavenly Sword, you must have saved a country in a past life! With that horrible personality, and yet all your wives are angels!”ceGAe
R52Choi Seol-Ah muttered shamelessly. It was like copy and paste.i6vn2P
Kna0e“Officer Garyeon.”F5Ji
OiYqL4“Yes.”O2tgJy
e4Lif“Could you check how many people can accompany us?”psWnvn
R4pBj“One moment, please.”8Zv
mInGeKA few seconds later—994eP
jYDNF“They say as long as it’s not too many, it’s fine.”Aek6en
Ngt5“Two people isn’t excessive, so it’s okay.”HJhO
TgEd5a“Probably…”mXST2
aAlB2B“…Is something bothering you?”EgbGxe
8QKBojv“Those two concern me.”a91
LOFM8k“It’s better to ignore them.”6dZslr
BjQ“Seems you’re used to this kind of situation, Lord Heavenly Sword.”Gic
KGyjvKShail chimed in.vD3J29k
3u9FD“As I said, I’ve known Lord Heavenly Sword since before he had a single hair.”Qn9l
5w5M6qL“Hey, stop that!”OaHmc
jynVI was startled.nmw
31FI“Don’t say things that cause misunderstandings! When I’m praised for the beard it’s fine, but you say ‘hair’ and it sounds awful!”IfHG
KjHRK“I wasn’t talking about the beard, you know?”1Cuzej
hN8“…?”0U8g
cJRg“…?”Poxpn28
nJZVictoria’s shoulders, seen from behind, were still trembling slightly. I smacked my forehead.Wu8
xuo7X9‘Ha, please.’fRu7F3s
ImaZAnyway, the “assistance battle” was over. Or so I thought.i0I
x5Ia6UWho would’ve imagined there’d be overtime right after?SujI
XWf***DgIe6t4
rb1juTImperial Guard Training Hall.k2fb
Jex6W9“What is this…?”KG09
rhXcnG0Kang Geom-Ma and his group made their entrance. All the members of the Guard, including Oscar, wore uncomfortable expressions.U3F
tRQJEven they didn’t expect there’d be no incident. It was logical. This was Heavenly Sword. He had a knack for striking blind spots like sashimi. A man who threatened the entire hero circle with unpredictable methods.O1cLW
wepeBut this?fmDi
pPPeKLThe presence of the princess wasn’t particularly surprising. After all, His Majesty had appointed her as his tutor. It was natural for her to come with him.Z0rHn
stdk‘But who are those women behind him?’V2uHHXr
VkpPlThey were all dazzling beauties.yb8
k7o“Oh, does the Imperial Guard really wear those furry hats? But aren’t they hot? There’s not even any spring chill left, summer is almost here.”GalE0m
NgQI“Mind your manners, Joaqui.”9G0
2BQr“Yes…”pfCu0
9PieThe one with purple hair had such a slender figure she looked like a model. Her lazy tone of voice created an unexpected charm.vT8KDw
DoFNix“They’re all near warrior level. Impressive.”BMHLE3T
Ao8YdLThe one with pink hair was a very familiar beauty. Shail was a heroine with plenty of admirers, even among the guards. Both she and the Guard shared the trait of being loyal to their respective houses.ERY
gRXBesides, no man could resist an absolute beauty in a maid uniform. To the Guard members, Shail was nothing short of a unicorn.5qGqN
uVDP“Captain Oscar.”OU5AF5f
8RENoticing that Oscar was emitting a worrisome aura, Samseok sensed danger. That’s why he addressed him, and Oscar’s jaw tightened sharply.02t
tBUhuoI“…The exhibition at the end of training, that informal duel with Lord Heavenly Sword…”chtjv
BRLbxy“Yes. We proposed using Lord Heavenly Sword to wake up the complacent nobility. That’s why we also installed cameras on the ceiling.”FwQ
pjDHKz“Remove them.”3CW0
Negtf“Excuse me?”QFo6i
sri1Jv1That was all Oscar said.Ouqy
cgQ4Samseok had a bad feeling. He looked around and noticed it wasn’t just Oscar reacting that way.7iHslh
ZDhw7Several members of the Guard had their eyes wide open. In fact, almost all of them. A fierce spark of battle burned in their pupils.YvRw2
mpx3impSamseok also turned his head toward where those scorching gazes converged.uCw
pPGHeavenly Sword, confident, had his arms crossed. As if this kind of company were the most normal and appropriate thing for him.nW77
pjTk48H‘Now I understand why Heavenly Sword is public enemy number one.’x7Dr
b2eThe situation reeked of provocation.opNGFSk
WT4oThe Imperial Guard was also an army. A male-dominated group soaked in sweat and routine. Sometimes, just locking eyes with a maid made their hearts race, and now this was clearly a provocation.S9RtTMO
mAxj“…Even if he’s one of the Seven Stars.”1tgkI
dBX7F5fOscar muttered, his clenched fist trembling with rage.ZcO
pCV6Lately, there was much talk about the next candidates to become the Seven Stars. All Mute, Mao Lamg, Lady of the Sword Abel, Celestial Archer Ryozo… All were being considered.oNis7nB
pD623k0Wise Mid Poison and Lance Richard were nearing retirement due to age. And the Sword Master had already been retired for ten years.t0veww
2nRrKSo, it wouldn’t be long before two spots opened. Among the heroes with the best chance to fill those gaps was Captain of the Guard, Oscar.tpP
UMbksdhOf course, that was more complicated in practice.yWgMoa
1wBftBut the phrase that followed—YkimoH
MKCng“Lord Heavenly Sword is a human just like me, in the end.”T6Axl
xMkWas, of all the misunderstandings Oscar had ever had, the biggest and most misguided of all.byOQN
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